Actor Shah Rukh Khan buying Bangladeshi cricketer sparks controversy

The inclusion of Bangladeshi cricketer Mustafizur Rahman in the IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders, co-owned by actor Shah Rukh Khan, has sparked controversy in Maharashtra as politicians and spiritual leaders slammed the actor.

Hindu spiritual leader Jagadguru Swami Rambhadracharya called Shah Rukh Khan a “traitor” for hiring the Bangladeshi player. This also comes after another Hindu spiritual leader, Devkinandan Thakur, slammed Shah Rukh Khan for his actions, given the targeted atrocities against Hindus in Bangladesh. He also demanded that the cricketer’s appointment be revoked and that ₹9.2 crore in fees be paid to the families of the Hindu children who were murdered.

Calling the Bangladeshis “enemies”, the Shiv Sena (UBT) said that if the star actor retains the player in the squad, he does not understand the nation’s sentiments. Highlighting that Pakistan and Bangladesh’s DNA are the same, the party said: “They are terrorising the country, and Shah Rukh Khan should use this time to show gratitude towards the country. Boycott these players; choose Indian players.”

Shah Rukh Khan came under the heat after he bid ₹9.20 crore to buy Mr. Rahman for the 2026 IPL season in an auction held in December. The move attracted criticism, given the alleged atrocities on Hindu minorities in Bangladesh and the anti-India stand taken by some organisations there.

Sanjay Nirupam of Shiv Sena also criticised Shah Rukh Khan and said, “For the last few months, the atrocities have hurt the sentiment of India. The Indian government needs to intervene in this. Shah Rukh Khan doesn’t want to get targeted, then he should remove [the player from the team].”

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Minority Commission Chairman Pyare Khan has called for decisive action to protect the minority communities, saying, “The nation can never succeed unless the minorities don’t feel safe. I appeal to him [Shah Rukh Khan] to ban those players so that a message can be sent”.